THE LATE DISASTROUS FIRE.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 591, 9 December 1869, Page 2

THE LATE DISASTROUS FIRE.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. The late fire, extensive as it was, and serious as it has been to many, continues still to be the topic of conversation—the subject of regret, and the subject of congratulation—regret that it was so serious, and congratulation that it was not much more so, as it once threatened to be, and as it would in all probability have been but for public exertions and Providence. While thus the subject of talk with the majority, there are some who have not lost the sense or " name of action." Our advertising columns reveal how those who have been burnt out are now in occupation of other premises (of which there was a plethora) with their stocks no more in " most admired disorder," but re-assorted and ready for sale. See the advertisements of Southern, Horn, Falla, Smyrk, and others. Two are rapidly erecting new premises on their old sites —Fleming and Murray, and Roberts and Simpson; and the proprietress of the Sportsman's Arms is " monarch of all she surveys " in a tent situated in the centre of a mass of cinders and contorted sheets of ungalvanized iron. It is only a question of time, and we hope not of much time, when the other building sites in the same block will be re-occupied. There is not much encouragement to do this in the face of the fact that other business premises are in the market, but there is always this circumstance to be considered that, for retail business, the block burnt down was the best in the township. It is not at all probable that all the old owners or occupants of buildings there will renew their lease of risk or occupancy, but there are several positions in which we may expect to see erected the Salamander Store or the Phctnix Hotel, and there will, no doubt, also be speculating builders from other parts of the town and country. In estimating the direct damage caused by the fire we were, in Tuesday's issue, careful rather to understate than to exaggerate its amount, being sufficiently acquainted with usual newspaper exaggeration of such incidents when they do occur. The amount of indirect and yet undiscovered but certain injury to the trade of those who lost by the fire it is, of course, at all times difficult or impossible to estimate. Otherwise, and with a few exceptions, we believe that our calculations were pretty correct, and, if there was a fault, it was on the side of safety. Naturally it was as impossible, within twenty-four hours, to narrate with any degree of accuracy the total losses, or to arrive at anything like a just approximation of individual losses, as it has been for individuals themselves to ascertain what they did lose by fire, and how much depreciation in value has been sustained by them upon their saved goods. There were also many whose names were not mentioned in our last issue, who sustained considerable loss and damage, some from breakage of glass, others from removal of goods, and others by loss of rents through the occurrence of the fire. Nearly every shopholder on the east side of Gladstone street whose places of business were opposite to the scene of the conflagration, were more or less affected in one way or another. The Pest Office Hotel received such a scorching that the painters' and glaziers' bills for re-de-corations will be no trifle. But for a supply of water, obtained at the Custom House, the result would have been much more serious. Mr West, the baker, on his own shop and that of Mr Bishop next door, sustained similar damage, though not to such an extent. Mr Munson's glass front was also a "case of smash," and his doors and panels a mass of blisters. Both booksellers had books and fancy goods saturated and glass-cases broken. Mr Dupuis had nearly all his windows smashed; Messrs Whyte and Pirie's old establishment was served in a similar way ; and Mr Draghicavich's Hotel, with that of Mr Bonguelmi, was not spared from a proportion of glaziers' expenses. Mr Nicholas was more fortunate, only one pane of glass being victimised. The banks did not lose much; though the officers were on the alert to save all the property, it was not found necessary to remove any. All the blankets procurable were saturated at the Bank of New Zealand and spread over the roof, doors, and windows; and papers, books, and valuables were properly secured; but the fire did not reach the premises, neither was there any danger apprehended at that point, unless the buildings further up the street had caught. On the opposite side of the street, and in a line with the burning buildings towards the river, each householder lost something. Milne's Albion Hotel had a narrow escape; indeed at one time the baek of the building, at a part unnoticed for some time, had caught, and the fire was gradually extending when two active volunteers at some risk managed to quench it. Much of Messrs Smyth and Corr's goods were taken out, but, fortunately, it was labor lost. The owners of the Empire, the National, and other places, of course, directed their attention to secure, first, the safety of the Albion, as the means to the end of saving their own places, and, with the manful assistance of many, they were successful.

At the other end of the fire, Messrs Whyte and Pirie did not escape from loss, sustained by water and by the use and loan of blankets, several of which were burnt, stolen, or not returned. Mr

Munro's store bears evidence of damage, by blankets taking the place of window-glass, and by haying attained a darker hue on the paint in front. Mr M'Kinlay, tailor, had all his goods removed in contemplation of an extension of the flames, but, beyond the personal injury sustained by himself in an accidental fall, his loss was nothing. Mr Melville met with a severe accident to his leg on the same evening, but not so serious as to prevent his walking or working. Mr Fraser, schoolmaster, was also a pecuniary sufferer to a considerable extent. In addition to his losing a store, some out-buildings, and his fence, a large proportion of the ground was under lease from Mr Fraser, and he, of course, loses rents present and prospective. He has lost also, we believe, some valuable " household gods" of family interest and intrinsic value. Mention of his loss was accidentally omitted from our previous report. Among the school-house property —school-books,&c. —there has been more confusion and destruction than was at first expected, and the school will not be re-opened until next week. Another loser to an extent—■ small but total—was Mr John Ellis. His cottage was situated immediately behind Mr Anslow's store, and when alarmed, he had only time to save himself. He had also some goods in the store belonging to Mr Eraser, described by us as empty. Of the loss sustained by Mr Pitt, solicitor, no account can be given, as there were many valuable books, papers, and private properties of which no one can know the value until Mr Pitt's return, if it ever can be stated in pounds, shillings, and pence. In the scramble to save the premises in Gladstone street, the buildings in Molesworth street were overlooked until it was too late, and, but for Mr Foote (who lost all his own private effects,) and for the exertions of a few friends, all Mr Pitt's irreplacable property would have gone. While some of the individual losses may have beeu overrated by us, probably those which were at the time most underrated, both by us and by the losers, were the losses sustained by Mr Southern, of Victoria House, and by Mr Falla. Mr Southern's property was decidedly saved with promptitude and care up to the time when a fresh fire broke out in Mr White's premises, but it then became more of a scramble, and much in the back shop had to be sacrificed. An examination of the stock saved has also shown it to have suffered more than was hoped for, though not more than could reasonably be expected, and a number of costly articles of fancy attire have had to be withdrawn from the stock as unfit for sale. Thus, instead of £SOO, an estimate of more than double that amount may be made as the loss upon Mr Southern's stock ; and, no doubt, Messrs Fleming and Murray, when they come to put the goods in the shelves will find their loss as considerable as it has been described. With such a large supply of drapery in the market at necessarily reduced prices, and with the stock which has, through other circumstances, been sold "at a sacrifice," it is impossible to say how far such stocks may indirectly have depreciated in value. Mr Falla's loss was aggravated by the floor of his store being covered with bottled beer, preventing the removal of heavy goods. Messrs Eoberts and Simpson's loss is estimated now at more than was at first imagined, and Mr Horn's loss, when the goods are examined, is found to be by no means overestimated. Except from an incidental mention in the Nelson Colonist as to Mr Anslow's property being insured, we have understood and said that there was no insurance on any of the premises. It is possible that it may be other premises once belonging to Mr Anslow.

On Sunday morning, strangely enough, a fire was discovered in Messrs Dutton and Anderson's, in the adjoining hlock, but it was soon extinguished. In connection with an incident of the fire, we have received the following letter:— Sib, —WiU you be kind enough to allow me to make a few remarks with reference to the parcel that was left in care of the barmaid at the Imperial Hotel last Saturday night, about half an hour before the fire commenced. Having been present at the time the parcel was delivered, I can testify that the contents of the parcel were not mentioned. This want of precaution should make others more careful.—Yours, &c., E. Fenwick. There exists a feeling'that, though the fire may locally be well known to have occurred accidentally, there should, for the satisfaction of all, be an inquiry into the circumstances.